Getting rid of Steam.

fix-the-spade

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Feb 25, 2008
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So I've decided to get rid of Steam (along with everything game related on my PC). But it would seem that Steam is like the Mafia. Once you're in, there is no out.

After a couple of hours searching steampowered.com I've found that: You can't sell or actively trade a Steam account.
You can't delete it.
Or deactivate your games.
Or get Valve to close the account.

So that leaves the only logical option of just giving it away.
Does anyone know what the legal standing of this is?
Or even if it's safe to do, Steam seems to know my paypal details, is that on my pc or saved to the account, can it be removed etc.

I'd just uninstall it, but me being me I'd have a moment of weakness and putting it back. Thus redestroying my productivity.
 

Anarchemitis

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Dec 23, 2007
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Wow. uh... I guess I was right in my premonition of Steam being problematic to my computer. Sorry, no-can-help.
 

GothmogII

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Apr 6, 2008
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Have you tried emailing or phoning some kind of customer service and confirming that you can't cancel an account?

Otherwise, if you've got games tied to your account, why trash all that? I assume you payed for all of it, if you don't want to use it, just uninstall Steam and leave it be. Who knows, maybe you'll come back to it a few years and be glad everything is still there.
 

the monopoly guy

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May 8, 2008
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you could sell yoru account on ebay, those buggers will pay for anything
the problem is you can't play half life 2 without steam, and you couldn't get me to fork over half life 2...not my precious
 

Leorex

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Jun 4, 2008
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legaly you can not sell your account, but seeing as though you paid for a game, there should be no reason why you cant sell your games, although they are tied to your acount
 

fix-the-spade

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GothmogII said:
Who knows, maybe you'll come back to it a few years and be glad everything is still there.
Actually thats why I want to get rid of it completely.
The games I have on it (hl2/css/TF2/DoD and Red Orchestra) are so addicitve that I can't stop playing them. I've tried 'just uninstalling it' before and they inevitably end up back on my machine.
It's truly life destroying how much time I spend playing them, so they have to go.

Steam's pricing being what it is the total cost for all the games is £50 at most, I'm prepared to let that go.
 

the_tramp

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May 16, 2008
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The fact that you are getting rid of all games indicates that you would probably never play them again. Not sure about the legality of it, but I would imagine that it would be in the same legal standings as selling them to Blockbuster/Games Exchange or something similar.
 

Leorex

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it dose say in the elua:

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY DISPUTE WITH VALVE WITH REGARD TO STEAM OR THE STEAM SOFTWARE IS TO DISCONTINUE USE OF STEAM AND CANCEL YOUR ACCOUNT. BECAUSE SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, IN SUCH STATES OR JURISDICTIONS, VALVE, ITS LICENSORS, AND THEIR AFFILIATES LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

so you should call there tech support, and tell them that according to there own 'steam subscriber agreement, under chapter 10. EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES, paragraph A. EXCLUSIVE REMEDY -- STEAM AND STEAM SOFTWARE. they are obligated to cancel your account.

but you will have to un-install steam, and they will probably never let you use it again.

http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=subscriber_agreement
 

fix-the-spade

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Feb 25, 2008
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JakubK666 said:
I can haz your account?
I'm afraid the answer is no.

Steam seems to have access to my Paypal passwords, so by extension my banks accounts as well. That pretty much stops me giving the account to anyone outside my circle of friends.
Who I can find to physically assualt should they try and steal from me...
 

Frapple

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Sep 7, 2007
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Steam can't have access to you paypal passwords, it opens your browser, which must have the passwords saved :)
 

lee99

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May 28, 2008
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put hacks on css get banvac >.> thats one way
and steam should not have access to ur paypal password they proably dont have u cant buy one game and automaticly logon without reputting the pass on ur paypal not sure about direct visa payments never did that.
can i have ur account 8D?
 

Virgil

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Jun 13, 2002
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Khell_Sennet said:
Ownership of the game is yours...
You don't own the game (or any software at all, generally). If you had a physical copy of the game, you could sell it, but digital copies are generally non-transferable. You couldn't sell someone your downloaded Halo 3 map pack either, or songs purchased on iTunes. First-sale doctrine is not currently considered to apply to digitally distributed media.

fix-the-spade said:
Once you're in, there is no out.
If you really insist, change your password to a random string of characters and don't write it down, then uninstall the client. If you want to make sure it sticks, go into the account details and change them all to nonsensical information - that will ensure you can't recover the password later.

None of this is really going to solve your problem though. If you can't manage enough self-control to handle having Steam, then you'll just fill the void with something else.
 

Lightbulb

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Oct 28, 2007
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Change the email address for lost passwords to one that isn't yours - ideally a trusted friend. Let them have change your password. If they agree - you could decide on the conditions - they will change the password bck for you.

Alternatively change the address and password to something random. You won't be able to log in.

I'd go for the first as you can get your games back if you really really want to. Say in a few years time when you have a little more self control (but i am still waiting for that myself! :))
 

fix-the-spade

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Virgil said:
None of this is really going to solve your problem though. If you can't manage enough self-control to handle having Steam, then you'll just fill the void with something else.
Thats very true. I fill the void with art (my job) and the building/selling/repair of bicycles (my other job), which is productive. The problem with Steam is that working from home 3days a week from one pc, it gets very tempting and convenient.

The password mangling thing is a truly excellent idea- bye bye games...